Pokemon White 2
by Moon the Eevee
Summary: A girl in the region of Unova starts her Pokemon adventure. Together with her friend/secret crush, they have to fight off a new evil, travel across the Unova region, and star in movies. Yes, you read that right, movies. Contains SequelShipping. Some mild language.
1. Prologue

I don't own Pokémon. Pokémon belongs to Game Freak. Insert more legal stuff here.

Prologue

"Bianca! Bianca!" a woman called. She was inside her lab, at her desk. A glass cylinder case containing three red and white Pokéballs was set in front of a large stack of books and papers. The woman had light brown hair tied into a bun, red earrings, a white lab coat with a green skirt underneath, and mint green eyes.

"Hey Prof. Juniper!" a cheery voice called out. Prof. Juniper stood up and smiled when she saw a sixteen year old girl with short blond hair and orange-colored rimmed glasses. She wore an orange jacket and a green hat with a little white bow. She also wore baggy green jeans that reached down to her knees, clunky orange sneakers, and a large green purse. The girl did a quick nod of her head when she reached the Professor.

"Did you call me?" she asked.

"Why yes I have. Bianca, I want you to take these Pokéballs to Aspertia City." Prof. Juniper replied. She picked up the glass case with the Pokéballs in it and gave it to Bianca. Inside the Pokéballs, Bianca already knew, were three Pokémon. A Grass type, a Water type, and a Fire type. She curiously looked at the Professor and then at the red and white capsules.

"So, what's the occasion?" Bianca asked.

"Well, there were two kids, a boy and a girl, who just graduated Trainer's School. Since they have, I believe they can have my starters, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott. Besides they're more than old enough to travel, the girl's fourteen and the boy is fifteen." Prof. Juniper explained.

Bianca carefully placed the case into her purse, the case cushioned by her apricot-colored scarf. "I see your giving them the same starters you gave me and Cheren." said Bianca.

"Well yes…" the Professor began before Bianca interrupted her.

"So… where is Aspertia City anyway?"

"You have to take a boat there from Castelia City. Unlike Nuvema Town, Aspertia City has a Gym and Pokémon Center, and bigger buildings. It's on a little island in the southwest."

"Okay, small island, southwest, Aspertia City, one boy and a girl, got it."

"Good Bianca, just… try not to get lost. I'll call the kids' parents to tell them you're coming, so they kids know who to look for."

"Don't worry Prof. Juniper. Bianca's got it under control." She slung the purse over her shoulder. "Well bye! See you in a few days Professor!" Bianca called over her shoulder. Professor Juniper waved.

"Goodbye Bianca! Have a nice time!" she called just as Bianca walked out the door. As soon as she was gone, the Pokémon Professor sighed and sat back down on her office chair. She picked up a little wooden picture frame that had a picture of her, Bianca, and a boy slightly older than Bianca named Cheren. It was then Professor Juniper began to think to herself.

_It's just so strange,_ she thought. _Just two years ago, Bianca and Cheren were bustling new Pokémon Trainers. Now, Bianca is my assistant and Cheren is a Gym Leader. It's so amazing and yet sad at how time flies…_

Professor Juniper sighed again and watched several leaves flutter by. It was autumn in Unova.

_It just makes me miss those good old days. I just wonder… what about the other kid…._


	2. A Fresh Start

I don't own Pokémon. Pokémon belongs to Game Freak. Insert more legal stuff here.

Chapter 1 A New Start

It was a breezy autumn day in Aspertia City. Inside a medium sized house at the edge of the small city lived a girl and her mother. Inside the home, in the kitchen, the girl was eating a bowl of Cheerios cereal. She was still wearing her purple pajamas with pink polka dots. Her long brown hair was tied into two pony tails that hung in her face constantly. The girl was careful not to accidentally dip them into her cereal milk.

The woman, who was also the girl's mother, was busy cooking scrambled eggs for herself. The woman had her hair tied up in a pony tail with scarlet colored accessories. She wore a lime green T-shirt with white stripes and jeans. Just as soon as the girl's mother was done cooking the eggs, the phone rang.

"I got it." said the girl and went to reach the phone, but her mother grabbed it first (she was closer).

"Hello?" she asked. There was a three second pause. "Oh hi! Aurea Juniper!" the girl's mother suddenly exclaimed. The girl stopped chewing her cereal at the sound of that name. _Was that… no it can't be! _The girl thought to herself, slowly growing excited and scared. The girl's mother continued to laugh and talk on the phone.

"It's been way too long!" she continued. "So, why did you call? Yes… mm… Oh my gosh! A Pokémon… _for Mei!_"

Mei nearly spat out her half eaten cereal in extreme excitement. She couldn't believe it. She was finally, _finally_, after years of asking, going to get her first Pokémon! In her excitement, she dropped the spoon she was holding. It fell into her cereal bowl and splashed milk onto her pajama shirt.

"That's great! Wait, no… that's awesome! … Wait now?! … Oh no, she's here! Sheesh, you just never change do you?" Mei's mother said excitedly.

That was all Mei had needed to hear. She quickly took two more bites of Cheerios and, nearly knocking her chair over, ran to her room to get changed.

"Ok! Bianca? A big green hat… okay! Bye!" said Mei's mother and hung up the phone. Then she called, "Mei! Mei! Come here please!"

Within a few minutes, Mei came back from her room. She was wearing a white-T-shirt with a pink Pokéball printed on it, yellow frilly mini-shorts, black leggings, and a pink and white visor. She murmured a quick apology.

"There you sweetie!" said Mei's mother. "Alright, some important business…. You know-"

"Professor Juniper called you?!" Mei suddenly interrupted. "Like, _the_ Professor Juniper?!"

"You know her?"

"Yes, mom! There's the Internet. She's a famous Pokémon researcher."

"Well, yes. You see, Mei, she's an old friend of mine and she called me today in the first time in forever."

"You're FRIENDS with her?!"

"Yes, Mei, but that's not important now. Let's get down to business. Do you want a Pokémon?"

"Mom, I wanted a Pokémon ever since I was freaking five!"

"Oh yeah. Do you know what a Pokédex is?"

"_Mom!_"

"Sorry hon, gotta ask. But I'll take that as a yes."

Mei just rolled her eyes. She hated it when her mom got like this, being a huge worrywart. Her mother continued.

"Anyway, a girl named Bianca came here to see you. The Professor couldn't come here for certain reasons. Just look for a green and orange outfit and a large green hat."

"So… I have to go look for her?" Mei asked slowly.

"Yes, Mei, you will go look for her. Your fourteen years old now, it's time you went out by-yourself." Mei's mother said sternly. "You have to go see her," she said more softly this time. "To get your Pokémon and your Pokédex too. It's her first time here, so she might get lost. Oh and, you do have your cell, right?"

"Mom! I _always_ have it in my bag. And you told me yourself never to take it out."

"Oh yeah. Anyway, go wash out your bowl and freshen up. I want my daughter to look presentable to the Professor's assistant."

After that conversation ended, Mei went to go dump out her Cheerios (which had turned into goop) in the sink. Once the cereal was dumped, she brushed her teeth, added _Sea Cotton_ body spray, grabbed her magenta colored scarf and ran out the door into the crisp autumn day.

xxxxx

The cold breeze nipped at Mei's nose as soon as she stepped out of the house. She tightened the scarf around her neck, shivering a little bit. The sky was a pale blue with a few fluffy white clouds lazily drifting across the sky. Small groups of bright orange leaves danced and fluttered with one another on the wind. Mei kept walking across the concrete road, scanning for a green hat.

The buildings were small apartments and houses, so Aspertia City was more of a large suburb. But there was a Gym, but Mei would visit that later. The people that lived here usually wore dull clothing, so finding an orange and green outfit wouldn't be a problem.

Mei was so caught up in her searching she forgot to look where she was going. She accidentally tripped over a piece of cement and fell forward, on her face.

"Whoa, careful!" a voice called out. Mei felt something grab her shoulders in mid-fall and straighten her back up again. When she turned around to thank the stranger that helped her, she almost fainted.

The stranger that helped her was a boy with spiky dark blue hair and wine-red colored eyes. He wore a red and white jacket, dark colored jeans, and dark black and red shoes. His sister- who was right there at the time- wore a bright green dress and had a large pink bow that fastened her hair back into a pony tail. Mei's cheeks began to burn as stumbled backwards a bit, she felt so embarrassed.

"Oh! Uh… thanks Hugh…." she stuttered. Mei never told a soul, but she had a secret crush on Hugh. They've known each other ever since they were small, and even went to Trainer's School together. Ever since then, they have become great friends. But Mei wasn't quite sure if Hugh felt the same way about her…

Hugh interrupted her thoughts, "Hey, no probs. Didn't want to watch someone fall on their face on the street. Just asking but, did you get a Pokémon yet?"

Mei wiped her hands on her shirt. "Actually, I was just on my way to get one. From a girl named Bianca." she said. Hugh looked surprised.

"Wow really?!" he said. "Did you say Bianca? That's, that's an honor. She's Professor Juniper's assistant, and she does have some rare Pokémon too." It was then that his sister began to look a bit distressed.

"What's wrong kid?" Mei asked, crouching down low enough so she was on eye level with the girl. Hugh's sister quickly looked up at her and then cleared her throat. She then said quickly, "Mei… if-if you do g-get a Pokémon… just-just be really nice to it okay. Really nice. Please?" That plead sort of surprised Mei. Even Hugh was looking a bit anxiously at his sister.

_Of course I'm going to take care of it, _Mei thought firmly. _Besides, that's what good Trainers do; they gotta treat their Pokémon with love and respect… right?_

The 14 year old gently ruffled the little girl's hair. "Don't worry kiddo. I promise I'll take good care of it. That's why I went to Trainer's School, to learn how to take care of Pokémon the right way." Mei cooed. Hugh's sister looked reassured while Hugh sighed.

"Alright," he said after a while. "Hey, Mei… this may sound out of the blue but, can I come with you? There's something I need to do and I need someone to rely on besides my Pokémon."

Mei's cheeks began to burn. "Wait, who, me?" she asked, dumbfounded. Hugh's cheeks began to turn a light pink.

"Well, err, yeah! You have good, um, instincts."

"Instinct's?"

"Err, I mean, y-you're a good person! Yeah!"

There was an awkward pause. Hugh's little sister began to point at both of them as if she made the discovery of the century.

"Um, thanks." Mei said after a while, really wanting to end that awkward moment. Hugh turned to his sister, who had her hand cupped over her mouth and had shaking shoulders. She was quietly laughing.

"Uh, go home. I'll be back in an hour sis." he said quickly. The girl slowly began to walk backwards.

"Oh alright…" she said slyly. "Bye you two! Have fun!" Hugh's sister then turned around and began to run to her home (which was an apartment), giggling menacingly. Hugh face-palmed himself so Mei wouldn't have to see his burning face. _Ugh, how embarrassing._ He thought to himself uncomfortably. Finally gathering up his courage and guts, he tried again.

"So… can I come along to help you look for Bianca?" he asked.

"Yes!" Mei said a bit too enthusiastically. Hugh gave her a weird look. "Err, I mean, oh yeah sure." she corrected her-self. "Let's go."

The two walked along the concrete road. There were a few shops scattered here and there, but didn't have anything interesting in them. All in all, the city was kind of boring, the only time when it ever got exciting was around Christmas but that was it. Some orange and red leaves blew around them before flying off again into the sky to who-knows-where.

"Don't you remember Trainer's School?" Hugh asked Mei. She twisted her face in distaste.

"Oh yeah, that place. Ugh don't remind me, the teachers there were so brutal." said Mei.

"Yeah, that place was as boring as hell, and I mean it. They kept talking about the same stuff."

"Just be glad we graduated before the place closed down. Besides we're Trainers now."

"Yeah, but you don't have a Pokémon… yet."

"Oh, but I will."

"Yeah, yeah."

Both Mei and Hugh walked on for a few more minutes until they found the Aspertia City Outlook. The Outlook was Aspertia City's pride and a tourist hot-spot because of its great view.

"She should be up there, it's ideal for tourists." She pointed out. Hugh nodded in agreement. Suddenly his eyes began to twinkle mischievously. "Mei, wanna have a race to see who gets up there first."

"Oh you're on." Mei replied playfully. Both crouched down into Olympic sprinting position.

"Okay, on the count of 10." said Hugh. "1…2…10!" He dashed ahead of her.

"Hey!" Mei shouted and ran up the stairs too, catching up to the 15 year old. Both laughed at the thrill of running and beating each other.

"Come on you Slowpoke!" he teased.

"Slowpoke? I'll show you who the Slowpoke is when I'm through with you!" Mei retorted and ran ahead of Hugh by a few inches. He picked up the pace a bit so he matched her's. When they finally reached the end of the stairs, they stopped, panting.

"So… who… who won?" Hugh asked between breaths of air. Mei shook her head slowly.

"I… I think it was… a tie." she replied slowly. Hugh paused.

"So… that makes us both Slowpokes?" he asked.

"Afraid so." Mei replied. They both giggled and locked eyes for a second, then looked away embarrassed.

"Hey don't you think the view here is just FABULOUS!" a shrill voice called out. Both Mei and Hugh looked up. A girl with orange rimmed glasses, a big green hat, short blond hair, and an orange and green outfit was standing in front of them. "Oh, where are my manners." she tooted jollily. The girl cleared her throat. "Well, my name is Bianca and you two are Mei and Hugh right?"

"Uh, yeah that's us." Mei replied. Bianca nodded.

"Well as you may know, I'm Prof. Juniper's assistant and you two look exactly the same way as you were described to me. Pleasure to meet you two." the assistant expressed warmly and shook hands with both Mei and Hugh. "So… you two will help me and Prof. Juniper complete the Pokédex, right?"

"Yes!" Hugh and Mei said at almost the same time. Bianca nodded slowly, her eyes seeming very far away.

"It's really fun you know. Filling up that Pokédex meeting people, Pokémon, and places you only dreamed about…" said Bianca dreamily. After a few seconds she stopped and looked at Hugh and Mei apologetically. "Sorry about that, just talking to myself. Anyway back to business… ta-da!" Bianca took out a cylinder glass case and pushed a small square button. The glass slid down and inside, there were three, untouched red and white capsules.

Mei's eyes stretched wide open. One of these Pokémon was going to be her companion for the long journey ahead of her.

"You see in these Pokéballs," Bianca explained. "is a Water-type, a Grass-type, and a Fire-type. Mei gets to go first since she's younger than you Hugh. Choose wisely." Mei pinched her chin with her hand as she carefully looked over each Pokéball.

_Hmm…_ She thought._ This is a lot tougher than I thought… Ugh, just freaking choose one already!_

"Can I have the Water-type?" Mei blurted out. Realizing what she done, she turned away from Bianca and face-palmed herself for a second. Hugh looked down and shuffled his feet nervously not trying to meet her gaze.

"You mean Oshawott? Great choice, used to have one when I was your age." Bianca said cheerfully and handed Mei the Pokéball on the right side of the container. "Go on, send it out!" she said excitedly. Mei drummed her fingers on the small capsule's smooth red surface and with a little hesitation, sent out her Pokémon.

There was a loud pop and a flash of white light as the Pokéball burst open. Quickly, the light began to take shape and form. Soon it faded away to reveal a small blue Pokémon. He had a white face and paws, a large brown nose, freckles, two small blue bumps on its head, and bright twinkling black eyes. His body was blue and looked like a small shopping bag and a yellow shell was attached to his belly. He had two navy blue feet and a flat navy blue tail. The Pokémon took one look at its Trainer and broke into a huge smile.

"Osha! Oshawott!" said the Water type, his voice sort of shrill but at the same time gravely. Mei smiled. This Pokémon was really cute; maybe she hadn't made such a bad choice after all. She bent down and stroked his head, which felt soft.

"Hi there, Oshawott. I'm Mei." She cooed softly. Oshawott reached his white paws at the hand that was petting it and shook it gently. Mei giggled at the Water-type's gentleman like behavior.

"Oh, I better give you your Pokédex!" Bianca piped up suddenly and dug into her large purse. She took out a little white box with a pink Pokéball printed on it. It kind of looked like a Game Boy Color; only you had to slide the cover down to actually see the screen. "Here you go!" she said cheerily and gave the Pokédex to Mei. She flipped the Pokédex around in her hands.

"So… what's it do?" she asked. "I've read about it online but it wasn't very detailed."

"Well," the assistant began. "It's a high tech encyclopedia that automatically records the data of Pokémon you encounter. It becomes even more detailed if you catch one though, I don't know, I guess the Pokéballs and the Dex are connected in some way." Suddenly, the white Pokédex Mei was holding began to beep. She slid down the cover and a computerized female voice began to speak.

** Oshawott #007**

** The Sea Otter Pokémon**

** HT: 1' 08'' (0.5m) WT: 13.0lbs (5.9kg)**

** Type: Water**

**The scallop on its stomach isn't just used for battle—it can also break open hard berries as well.**

"Cool." said Mei as she closed the Dex. Bianca then turned to Hugh. "It's your turn to get a Pokémon." she said. Hugh shook his head no.

"No thanks, I already have one." he said quietly. Bianca looked disappointed.

"Oh that's too bad… well I better give you your Pokédex then." She said flatly and handed him a black Pokédex with an electric blue Pokéball printed on it.

"Well, I might as well show off my Pokémon too." said Hugh. He lifted his jacket up a little bit to reveal a red and white Pokéball attached to his belt. He took it off with a soft click and threw it up into the air. A pop and a flash of light emerged a Pokémon.

This Pokémon wasn't like Marine's Oshawott. She was an emerald green color with a sandy yellow underbelly and two little feet that looked like wood shavings. The Pokémon's snout ended at a point and she had two large brown eyes with gold eye shadow. A yellow stripe ran down her back to a large three pointed leaf tail. A curved yellow composition coming out of the Pokémon's shoulder blades made it look like a collar. The Pokémon crossed her arms and said "Ssss-nivy!" The Snivy's voice sounded like a high pitched snake's hiss. At once, Hugh's Pokédex started to beep. He opened it and a male computerized voice started to speak.

** Snivy #001**

** The Grass Snake Pokémon**

** HT: 2'00'' (0.6 m) WT: 17.9lbs (8.1 kg)**

**Type: Grass **

**Being exposed to sunlight makes its movements swifter. It uses its vines more adeptly than its hands.**

"Whoa! You have a Snivy?!" Mei exclaimed as Hugh closed the Pokédex. "Cool! Why didn't you ever tell me?" Hugh scratched his head.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Mei, I know my sis told you this already but… just take real good care of that Oshawott of yours." he said quietly. Mei didn't understand why he kept reminding her about this. It was thoughtful of him but, she already got the picture.

"Okay, I will." she said. Hugh smiled contently.

"Hey Mei! Why don't we both have a battle? It could help you bond with your Oshawott! How about it? My Snivy against your Oshawott." he said.

"That sounds like a great idea!" she said. She turned to her Oshawott who looked up at her. "Ready Oshawott?" Oshawott smacked his scallop, which gave off a metallic ping.

"Osha!" the Water-type explained. Hugh smirked.

"Okay!" he said. "Let's see how good of a Trainer you really are! Get ready Snivy!"

Snivy placed her hands on her hips. "Ssss…" was all she said.

"Alright, let's start things off! Oshawott, use Tackle attack!" Mei yelled.

The Sea Otter Pokémon ran head long into Snivy. The Grass Snake Pokémon didn't have time to react. She was fully body slammed by Oshawott's entire body. Both Pokémon skidded across the ground and Oshawott jumped back.

"Tackle, again!" yelled Mei. Oshawott charged forward towards Snivy, who was still recovering from the attack. This time, however, Hugh and Snivy were ready.

"Dodge it Snivy!" he called. Snivy-feeling the warm rays of the sun soak into her back-felt much lighter and faster. She easily dodged Oshawott's attack, making him appear a bit clumsy. "Counter!" Hugh commanded. The Grass-type rammed herself into the dumbfounded Sea Otter Pokémon and kept running until they both crashed into one of the wooden beams of the outlook. Snivy walked back a bit before charging again and coming into full contact with Oshawott's soft underside. She smirked, clearly having the advantage, and rammed back into Oshawott.

As the battle continued, Hugh began to think to himself. _Me and Snivy have been around with each other for a while now and Mei had just met hers just a few minutes ago. We both experienced many battles together and this is her first one. Should I just tell Snivy to stop? Or should I just let it continue? I don't want to be mean to her but; I don't always want to be easy on her either._ Hugh looked at Mei, who clearly looked very flustered. He stared at her for a little bit before turning his eyes back to the battle. He couldn't help feeling a little sorry for her. _I lost battles before and experienced the pain of losing. This is going to have to be Mei's call, not mine._

Meanwhile, Mei was having her thoughts of her own too. _Great. Just great._ She thought anxiously. _I was afraid something like this would happen. Snivy clearly has the advantage being a Grass-type and sunlight only boosts her speed. And poor Oshawott's getting a real beat-down too… Damn it! I have to come up with something quick or I'm to lose to Hugh! Hey wait… that has to work!_

"Hey Oshawott, block the next attack with your shell!" Mei called. Oshawott, though in pain, obeyed. He detached the yellow scallop from its stomach. Snivy was farthest from the Sea Otter Pokémon this time. This next attack was going to end this battle. The Grass type charged and Oshawott held up his shell.

BONK!

The Water type smashed his shell square on Snivy's head. She gave a loud hiss of surprise and dismay and staggered backwards, grasping her pounding head with her hands. Hugh's eyes widened in surprise and Mei gave a confident smile. This was her chance.

"Oshawott, tackle it one more time!" she called. Oshawott felt suddenly adrenalized and almost all his pain was washed away for a moment. He dashed forward as fast as his legs could carry him and smashed full throttle into the Grass-type. Both of them skidded across the ground before the Water-type got off of Snivy again.

Snivy, desperate to win this battle for herself and her master, struggled vainly to get back up. But Oshawott's attack was a direct hit. The Grass-type collapsed on the ground, too exhausted to continue. The Sea Otter Pokémon reattached the scallop back onto its stomach. "Osha…" he said weakly. Oshawott also sat down on the ground; he was just as tired as Snivy was. One thing was clear though, he won.

"Oh my god, Snivy!" Hugh yelled and ran over to his exhausted Snivy. He cradled the Grass-Snake Pokémon in his arms and looked at it worriedly. Snivy slowly opened her brown eyes and stared sadly at her master. "Vy…" she hissed quietly. Hugh ran his finger down her back. "It's alright Snivy. At least you tried." He said gently.

Meanwhile, Mei walked over to her victorious Oshawott and crouched down next to it. "You did great out there Oshawott, I'm really proud of you. We won our first battle, so I guess we make a great team." She said happily. Oshawott smirked. "Wott! Osha!" it said happily. Mei giggled and scooped the little Water-type up in her arms. She walked over to Hugh, who picked up his Snivy and stood up to meet her.

"Not bad for a first battle." He commented. Mei blushed a bit.

"Nah," She said. "That was just dumb luck that I won. Besides, you and Snivy had been around with each other much longer than me and Oshawott had."

"Dumb luck? Quit lying to yourself! I told you already; you have good instincts. I'm just glad I have a Trainer I can count on!" said Hugh. Mei blushed even more and noticed that Hugh's cheeks were flushing a light shade of pink. Bianca gave them both a quick look and giggled mischievously. Oshawott looked at Snivy and began reaching towards her. Snivy noticed this and did the same.

Hugh felt Snivy squirm in his arms and took a tiny step towards Mei. The two Pokémon grabbed hands and shook. Without thinking, he quickly reached for Mei's wrist and shook it. Mei, a bit bewildered that Hugh was actually touching her, did the same thing.

She sort of understood where he was getting at though. He didn't actually want to touch hands with her when Bianca is standing right there. Bianca smiled warmly at the two.

"Nice to know you guys aren't sore losers unlike someone I know." She said with a little giggle. "But you're Pokémon are still a bit tired from the fight, but they're not too seriously hurt for a Pokémon Center. Use these." She threw two blue berries at Mei and Hugh. Mei looked at her berry closely. It strongly resembled a blueberry, but it was too big to be one.

"That's an Oran Berry; it gives your Pokémon energy." Bianca reminded them. Mei smiled gently at her Oshawott and gently encouraged him to eat some. Oshawott took the berry in his paws and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth. Within seconds, the little Water-type sprang back to his feet and put both his paws on his hips. Oshawott gave a confident smile. "Oshawott!" he said happily. Mei rubbed his head. She turned to look at Hugh and saw that his Snivy was also back on her feet too.

Then, Bianca's cell phone began to ring and she answered it. There was a short conversation before Bianca switched her phone off. "Well, I guess I better be off." She said. "You know, being the Professor's assistant and all. Bye you guys!" Bianca waved at both Hugh and Mei as she walked away. They waved back.

"Oh and more thing!" Bianca called over her shoulder. "You two make an _adorable_ couple!" Hugh and Mei slowly scooted away from each other, both very embarrased that Bianca said that outloud. And rather loudly.

There was an awkward silence. It was just both Hugh and Mei on the lookout. Both of them. Together. Alone. Mei rocked back on her heels and Hugh coughed quietly into his jacket. "Soo…" Mei said after a while. "What now?"

"Well, I want to go and explore now but… I got to pack my stuff." Hugh said a bit sheepishly. Mei shrugged. "I have to pack too." She said. He nodded.

"So, I'll meet you at the gate at 2:00?" Hugh asked.

"You'll see me there."

"Oh, okay. See you."

"See you."

Mei called Oshawott back into his Pokéball and started to walk down the Lookout back to her house. She was blushing a little bit, thinking about Hugh as she walked back.

xxxxx

**AT LAST THE FIRST CHAPTER IS DONE! GAH! FINALLY! Sorry for the long wait, I was working on another fan-fic and (shudders) homework… But, at long last, I AM DONE. Now for Ch.2! But since it is December right now, Happy Hanukah, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, ect (just try not to be eaten by zombies on the 21st... just kidding! ^~^). Bye for now! ~Halfmoon22**


	3. New Companions

*****I don't own Pokémon, Pokémon belongs to Game Freak. Insert more legal stuff here.*

Chapter 2

At exactly 2:00 PM, Hugh set out to meet up with Mei. After letting his parents and little sister know that he was leaving, he left the small apartment that he called home. He walked down the lonely hallway towards the elevator and pushed the button for down. As Hugh quietly waited for the elevator, he clicked Snivy's Pokéball from his belt and stared at the little Grass-Type inside. Snivy's rich, intelligent brown eyes stared back at him and she pressed her head lovingly against Hugh's fingers wrapped around the Pokéball.

Hugh smiled and stepped into the elevator when it came up. He pressed the button for lobby and the elevator slowly began to descend. He thought about Mei as the elevator went down.

Hugh and Mei have always been together ever since they were little. He remembered first meeting her when just moved to Aspertia City. He was shy and didn't know anyone. A lot of the kids just ignored Hugh. That was until Mei bumped into him by accident and promptly introduced herself to him. Ever since then, they became close-knit friends; never mind that Mei was a girl and Hugh was a guy.

But lately, Hugh was considering her not as just a friend anymore, but someone deeper than that. He couldn't explain why, but Mei was different-special- from all the other cute chics he ever met. There was just something about her that drew him to her that he just couldn't explain. Hugh always got this weird, warm feeling whenever he saw her and couldn't stop looking at her. But he just didn't know how he should explain his feelings to her.

Soon the elevator dropped him off at the lobby and he walked out of the apartment building. Ever since Trainer's School, Hugh and Mei always had to stick up for each other. They would always get bullied; everyone thought that a boy and a girl hanging out with each other meant they were in love. Hugh always wanted to protect her, especially now ever since….

Before he knew it, Hugh was in front of Mei's house. He said he'd meet her at the gate, but his feet just took him here instead. Besides, he knew her well enough to know that sometimes her head was in the clouds. Her house was small, but pretty comfortable looking. Hugh chewed his jacket collar nervously and rapped his knuckles on Mei's door. A moment went by before Mei herself answered it. Hugh felt his heart beat faster than normal. He noticed Mei was blushing a little bit.

"Hey Hugh!" she said happily. Hugh smiled sheepishly.

"Hi Mei… I was just coming by to pick you up." He said. Mei nodded excitedly.

"Oh yeah! I forgot! I'm almost done getting my stuff together. You can come in if you want."

"Oh, okay."

Hugh stepped into the house. Yep, it was defiantly a bit roomier in Mei's house then his tiny apartment. Mei walked to the TV room and adjusted a few things in her bag while Hugh stood beside her patiently. He looked around.

"Where's your mom?" he just had the urge to ask.

"She's out for groceries. She'll be back soon. But since you're here…" Mei said promptly before zipping up her bag and slipping it on her shoulder. "I guess we can go."

"Well, come on." Said Hugh, gesturing towards the door. Mei walked over to Hugh's side and together they exited the door. She took out her cell and quickly texted her mother she was leaving. She got a text back from her mother, saying that she wished her well and to be careful. Mei shut her cell and put it back into her bag.

The days were getting shorter. The sun was at the very beginning of its setting. A few leaves blew lazily and it was still a bit nippy out. Some people were going home from work and a few birds chirped. It won't be long until they have to migrate. But, it was otherwise peaceful.

"So what will we do first?" said Mei.

"Well, I was thinking we could go check out the Gym; see if it's open…" Hugh began before Mei interrupted him.

"Isn't that where the Trainer's School once was?"

"Um, yeah! There wasn't enough room left in the town to build a Gym, so the Gym Leader just decided to make his Gym in the Trainers School. But it had to be closed because of modifications."

"Well, what the heck are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

"Hey, wait!"

Mei dashed ahead to the Trainers School, which Hugh not too far behind. Mei was a bit hardy, but that was what Hugh liked about her. She wasn't afraid to try out new things… and foods.

_Especially the foods…_ Hugh thought to himself as he chuckled about a little incident between Mei and her accidentally biting into a ghost chili pepper….

XXXXX

"WHAT?!" Mei screeched like a banshee at the grey and orange building. It was the old Trainers School, with the cute red and gold flags still flying. However, on the red door was a large white sign that said three words: SORRY, WE'RE CLOSED!

Mei gave a little sigh in defeat and quickly trotted back to Hugh, who was standing on the street waiting for her. "They said their closed… it's been three months and the Gym's _still_ not open." She said. Hugh frowned.

"It's still not open? Too bad…. But, hey! Look on the bright side. This might turn out to be a win for both of us after all."

"What do you mean?" asked Mei as she and Hugh walked away from the to-be Gym.

"Think for a minute. This could give us an extra opportunity to go and train our Pokémon for a bit. Because, well you know, Gym Leaders are pretty tough. It might be wise to take this chance while we still can."

"Hmm… you are right. And this could be another chance to fill out our Pokédex!"

"That's the sprit! But… I think I can still catch more Pokémon than you."

"Oh _really_?"

"I'm only teasing. Come on. Maybe going to Floccesy Town is a good start."

Mei and Hugh walked over to the gate to Route 19. He remembered the good old days before he went to Trainers School. It would just be him and Mei, playing in the fields there. They played tag a lot, but were never allowed to go into the tall grass, where all the wild Pokémon lived. But now Hugh had Snivy and Mei had Oshawott, they had nothing to fear.

Mei and Hugh walked through the gate and said hello to the attendant there. Within two minutes, they came out into the crisp clean air of the Route. It was pretty peaceful here, the grove and grass quiet as both Hugh and Mei walked through it. Both were silent, simply enjoying each other's company. Mei thought it would be nice if Oshawott could have some fresh air. Taking his Pokéball off her bag strap, she flung it into the air.

Oshawott suddenly appeared from a puff of smoke. "Osha… wott!" said the Sea Otter Pokémon comfortably as he stretched his tiny arms towards the sky. Hugh, feeling a bit stupid that he hadn't thought of that, sent out Snivy. As Snivy came out of her Pokéball and onto the cool grass, she crouched into a sprinting position and luxuriously stretched out her tail. When she got up, the little Grass-type gave a hiss of delight when she saw Oshawott and ran over to meet him.

Hugh laughed to himself as he watched Snivy's behavior towards Oshawott. Usually Pokémon with a type difference ignored each other. But Oshawott seemed to accept Snivy like a friend; never mind that she had the type advantage. To Hugh, this was a very interesting behavior he had never seen before. He looked over at Mei and stared at her for a moment. When she turned her head towards him, he quickly snapped his head forwards again. _Does Snivy feel the same way I do? With this complicated feeling? _Hugh thought to himself before Mei interrupted his conversation with himself.

"You know it's really nice and peaceful here. We're making nice progress and not even met a single wild Pokémon yet. I remember this place when we were little, but know it's even more fun now we get to explore more of it." said Mei.

"Yeah… but it's even more fun when you have good friends by your side." Hugh replied. Mei smiled and blushed at Hugh's comment. He blushed too, though he really didn't know why. Once again the happy fluttering of a sparrow was back inside his stomach the more he reflected on Mei's blushing.

Mei smiled to herself. She was glad that Hugh tagged along, even though he didn't ask to but she didn't mind. She felt so comfortable around him. _Hugh, you're so sweet!_ She said to Hugh quietly. He wasn't very aware of Mei's silent comment, she knew that. Mei gave a soft sigh and watched Oshawott and Snivy ran around with each other at which she thought was a game of tag. _If only I could tell him what I really feel… but if I did… what would he say? Would he think of me as a freak? Not want to be friends with me anymore?_ She looked at Hugh and there was a desperate longing in her to tell him the truth. But that would just have to wait. Now wasn't the right time for Mei to tell Hugh what exactly was going on in her heart… yet.

Then, something caught her eye. She felt something… staring at her from the bushes on the side of the road. Curios, she turned to look. There was defiantly something staring at Mei. She saw a pair of bright burgundy eyes stare at her from the bushes. She could see part of the thing's head; it had two small, cat-like ears and a wolf-like snout. Mei tapped Hugh's shoulder. "Hey… what's that over in the bushes?"

Before Hugh could reply, there was a sudden strong breeze. The breeze was so strong, it made both Mei and Hugh step back a few steps. But the breeze seemed more directed towards Snivy for some reason, blowing her back a few feet before she tumbled across the ground. "Vy! Vy!" she hissed in a high pitched way. "Snivy!" Hugh exclaimed and ran over to his Pokémon. "Are you okay?!" he asked worriedly. Mei and Oshawott also ran over to where Hugh and Snivy are.

Snivy jumped up immediately and shook her snout angrily. Her eyes were now brown horizontal slits and her tiny fangs were clenched together in annoyance. The Grass Snake Pokémon just knew that something had just attacked her; she could feel it deep in her bones. That breeze wasn't normal. Now whatever attacked her was going to pay for running her peaceful afternoon.

Suddenly, a loud and angry sounding coo came from the trees. A sudden grey blur burst through the orange and brown leaves, aiming directly for Snivy and Oshawott. The Sea Otter Pokémon quickly crouched onto the ground and Snivy quickly jumped out of the way. A strong breeze blew right behind this grey blur, and Mei and Hugh impulsively protected their faces' with their arms. The grey blur landed on the ground suddenly and Hugh was now able to take a good look at it.

It was a little storm grey bird Pokémon, barely standing over a foot tall. The Pokémon's wings and tail feathers were tipped with a darker shade of grey. He had a dark, almost black, beak with pink fleshy nostrils. The bird's chest feathers were a very light grey and in the shape of a heart. His feet were a fleshy pink like his nostrils and had three toes with a black claw on each.

The bird Pokémon squawked aggressively and opened up his small wings, his bright golden eyes flashing. Snivy gave an angry hiss at her opponent, clearly ready to fight. _We may have gotten too close to its territory… _Hugh thought to himself as he stared at the grey bird Pokémon. It didn't take him long to realize that it was a Pidove, for he had seen many on the streets of Aspertia City and in picture books. It might actually be nice to have a Flying-type around. Meanwhile Snivy looked at her master, her rich brown eyes glittering, ready for commands.

"Mei, stand back! This is my fight!" he called to Mei. She nodded quickly and stepped back with Oshawott to watch.

"Okay, here we go! Snivy, Leer!" Hugh ordered. Snivy obeyed at once, and her eyes flashed angrily at her opponent. Pidove fluffed out his feathers and some anxiety flickered through his golden eyes as he stared down the Grass-type. He knew he was facing down a strong opponent, never mind that he had the type advantage.

"Tackle!" Hugh commanded. Snivy charged at the Flying-type, full speed. But Pidove reacted instantly, flying up into the air and beating his wings rapidly. A sudden breeze began to blow, slowing Snivy. But despite this, the Grass Snake Pokémon pushed on, not ready to give up. Pidove stopped beating his wings and nose-dived towards Snivy. However, she quickly moved out of the way and head butted the Flying-type's underbelly, making him sort of bounce on the ground.

Pidove gave a loud squawk of dismay and flailed his wings around aimlessly, but very soon jumped back up to face his opponent. Flying up into the air, he attempted to create another powerful breeze. But Snivy wasn't going fall for another trick. Channeling energy to her shoulder blades, the Grass-type suddenly made vines grow from her back. With a quick twist of her body, she whipped out one of the vines towards Pidove, ensnaring him. The bird Pokémon squawked loudly and pecked at Snivy's vines with his beak, making the Grass-type wince. "Sni!" the Grass Snake Pokémon quickly called over to her master.

_Now's my chance._ Hugh thought to himself and quickly took out a Pokéball from his pocket. It was his only one, so if it broke open, he won't be able to capture this Pidove. Swinging his arm, he threw the Pokéball at the bird Pokémon. The Pokéball bumped lightly into Pidove and popped open. Pidove suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke and was inside the Pokéball. Snivy quickly called her vines back, making them go back into her body.

Hugh held his breath, waiting. The Pokéball moved, Pidove struggling to escape. It shook once, twice, three times. And it was still. Giving a sigh of relief, Hugh quickly trotted over to his Pokéball. He held up his Pokéball and peered inside, looking at his newly caught Pidove.

"Hugh!" Mei called and ran over to him.

"Did you see that Mei?! I caught my first Pokémon!" he said excitedly and looked at her with bright eyes. Mei gave him a warm smile which made him blush.

"That's awesome! You're so freaking lucky you caught one. There are Pokémon here, but none have caught my fancy." She said. Hugh gave her an affectionate nudge.

"Don't worry. You'll have to find one eventually."

Then, Hugh's Pokédex began to beep. "Okay, let's see here…" he said as he pulled it out and opened it up.

**Pidove #014**

**The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon**

**HT: 1' 00'' (0.3m) WT: 4.6lbs (2.1kg)**

**Type: Normal/Flying**

**This very forgetful Pokémon will wait for a new order from its Trainer, even though it already has one.**

**Moves: Gust, Leer, Quick Attack**

"That's nice. Now I have a flyer." Hugh said simply and put his Pokédex away. Mei smiled at him because she felt happy he had his first caught Pokémon.

They continued down the road until they reached a large ravine. For a while Hugh and Mei didn't speak to each other because they were observing the ravine. Snivy was a little winded from the battle so Mei's Oshawott tried to calm it back down. Snivy was feeling a bit more relaxed so she picked up some of the flame colored leaves that lay on the ground and compared them with her emerald green leaf tail. Oshawott meanwhile was busy tossing his shell into the air and capturing it before it fell.

Mei noticed that the sky was changing color from a pale blue to a rosy pink. The sun was going to set soon, but the town couldn't be this far away now. It was then; Mei heard a noise just ahead of her, that of some falling stones. She darted her eyes in alarm, searching for the source of the sound. A sudden sound like a bark came from the rocks of the ravine. Mei looked up and to her surprise, she found a Pokémon she had never seen before.

The Pokémon had a glossy black and blue coat and stood on two sturdy and strong looking dark legs. His head had two small ears, two strands of skin that hung on the sides of its face, and its nose ended at a point. On the Pokémon's face was a black stripe that ran across his face and the top of his snout. His arms had a distinctive light grey stone seemingly attached into its arm. It was a Riolu. But it was the eyes Mei found the most interesting. They were the exact same burgundy eyes that were staring at her from the bushes! She felt some sort of vibe towards this Pokémon, some vibe that was telling her to capture it, tame it, and make it her companion. Mei quivered with excitement. This was the Pokémon she was going to catch.

The Riolu stared back at the human curiously as he studied its aura. It was a female, the Fighting type realized, and the colors of the auras emanating from her were a distinctive orangey-red with some flares of bright pink. The Riolu came to the conclusion that the female human was having feelings for the male one that was with her and that was staring at the Fighting type as well. He then decided to study the male's aura. His was also red, except more muddied looking and darker than his female companion and with a few flares of black, blue and pink. He seemed angry and was holding a deep seated grudge, but against what? Or who? The Riolu didn't understand. The auras can only tell him what was going on inside a person's or Pokémon's body, but not their actual thoughts. But it was not really the male the Riolu was interested in. It was more the female.

The Emanation Pokémon didn't quite understand it really. He felt as if his aura seemed to balance with the female's. The Riolu stared at his blue aura that had just begun flaring some red. The colors of his aura and the female's aura seemed to go along well together for some reason. He wouldn't mind becoming the human's companion. But she first had to prove her-self to him that she was worthy of having him. With a quick grunt of agreement to himself, the Riolu jumped down to face his self-appointed opponent

Mei was a bit surprised when the Riolu jumped down to face her. If she was in his position it would take no time for her to turn tail and run. But then again, this was a Pokémon, not just a terrified squirrel. Shaking off her surprise she turned to Oshawott, who had also seen the Riolu jump down from his rocky perch. "Come on Oshawott!" Mei called to the little Water type. Oshawott wasted no time at all and quickly followed his master's command.

The Riolu peered curiously at the little blue Pokémon he was facing. This Pokémon's aura was yellow, the color of cheerfulness and playfulness. He watched as his opponent stumbled a little as he ran to face him. The Riolu smirked. _This_ was going to be his opponent? Apparently so since the female human didn't seem to call out any more foes. Well, never mind, if this clumsy Pokémon was going to be his opponent so be it. The Riolu crouched into a defensive stance. This was going to be an easy fight.

Hugh noticed the Riolu jump from the cliff. The Pokémon seemed to challenge Mei to a battle. He quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. He never saw a Pokémon act this way before. Clearly the little Pokémon seemed very intelligent as Hugh noticed that particular gleam in his eye. He actually hoped Mei would capture this one. It would make a great addition to her team.

"Alright little guy if you wanna fight, you got one! Oshawott, Tackle!" Mei commanded. Oshawott gave off a war call and charged towards the Fighting type. The Riolu was ready even before the female human commanded the Water type to even move. Bunching his leg muscles, the Emanation Pokémon sprang sideways, making Oshawott skid to a halt. The Sea Otter Pokémon blinked in surprise and confusion. Never before in his short life had seen something move that quickly. Swallowing his embarrassment and not wanting to look bad in front of Snivy, charged again. The same thing happened with the Riolu.

Mei was surprised when the Pokémon dashed quickly out of the way. It moved so fast that she almost missed it. She gave a sympathetic gaze at Oshawott who was trying his best to actually land a hit on this Pokémon (and kept missing). But she also felt very flustered for two reasons.

Firstly, Oshawott wasn't moving fast enough to catch up with the Riolu's speed.

Secondly, she was looking like a screw-up in front of Hugh. She turned to him, hoping for some comfort. Hugh caught the look and gave her a bit of a nervous gaze, chewing on his jacket collar. Snivy seemed worried, her small hands quivering and rubbing together.

Mei turned her head back to the fight. "Oshawott! When that Pokémon dodges, dodge with it!" she called. Oshawott turned his white head towards Mei for just a fleeting second before turning back to the battle. The Water type charged again and watched his opponent carefully. Oshawott's foe was fast, the little Water type knew that, but if he paid careful attention, he could just barely see the outline of the Riolu. Quickly, Oshawott head-butted the soft underbelly causing the Fighting type to stumble in shock.

The Riolu took a couple of steps backwards, clutching his stomach but his eyes never leaving his opponent. The blue Pokémon had broken through his trick to get his opponent tired and giving the Riolu the perfect opportunity to attack. But now that strategy was just thrown out the window. Quickly re-gathering his thoughts, the Riolu focused again to his foe. He was finished with games; it was time to get real.

Mei grinned a bit, her muscles relaxing a little. Just a little. "Well done Oshawott!" she called over to her Pokémon. The Sea Otter Pokémon gave her a tense grin before going back to the battle. Gaining some of her confidence back she called her next attack to Oshawott. "Water Gun!"

No sooner said than done, Oshawott felt a powerful force of water rise to his throat. The force was so powerful; Oshawott was forced to open his mouth as a jet of water blasted from his mouth and at the Riolu. The Fighting type saw his chance. He hopped high into the air the Water Gun just missing him, yet he felt the spray of the water on his legs. The Riolu jumped behind Oshawott and with one swift kick to the head, sent the Sea Otter Pokémon sliding across the dust.

Oshawott was stunned where he lay, but he wasn't ready to give up. Slowly pushing himself back up, his head now throbbing, he stood up to face the Fighting type.

Mei took in a sharp intake of breath when she saw her Pokémon slide across the ground. She quickly darted her eyes toward the Riolu. He just changed tactics, Mei was aware. And he was moving so fast not even Oshawott's Water Gun could catch up to it. Mei shook he head to clear her thoughts. That didn't mean she was ready to give up.

"Oshawott, Water Gun!" Mei called again.

Hugh winced. This Riolu was a rare Pokémon but was incredibly strong. It wasn't stupid either. Just a quick glimpse of those glittering rubies for eyes could just tell him he knew exactly what the outcome of this battle was. Hugh looked sympathetically at Mei for a moment. She was trying, she really was, but Hugh already knew there was a flaw in her strategy. She was using only brute force instead of first weakening the foe. Hugh desperately wanted to help her, but Mei would simply deny him. He could only watch helplessly as he chewed on his jacket collar anxiously

Oshawott meanwhile was focused on winning and making his master proud. Once again, he blasted water from his mouth and towards the Emanation Pokémon. But the Riolu had one last trick up his sleeve. The Fighting type jumped high into the air, the Water attack once again missing him. The Riolu balled his paw into a fist and before Oshawott had time to react; the Fighting type dropped towards the Sea Otter Pokémon and punched him clear in between the eyes. The Riolu did a quick flip in the air before landing neatly back on his feet.

Oshawott on the other hand just stood there for a moment stunned. Then the unfortunate little Water type collapsed to the ground, his head whirling with stars.

Riolu didn't even look back at his fallen opponent. Without even looking at it the little Fighting type knew that his opponent was in pain just by the feeling of it. But it didn't really matter to him now. The Riolu turned and stared angrily at Mei. He thought she would be the one. But no. The Riolu couldn't afford weakness. It was just too bad; the female would have made a wonderful companion. But beggars can't be choosers can they? Hopefully, there were still plenty of fish in the sea for the Riolu. Hopefully…

At first, when Mei saw Oshawott go down, she didn't know what to feel. It was blank for what felt like forever. Then she noticed the Riolu staring at her. She stared directly back at those burgundy eyes. Mei watched as the Riolu's eyes glittered and danced in the dying rays of the sun. There was anger and frustration and… disappointment? Mei couldn't help feeling these feelings along with the Fighting-type at the aspect of losing, as if there was some sort of silent connection.

Then, as soon as the Emanation Pokémon had begun giving Mei that look, it ended. Without even a bark, the Fighting type quickly dashed off into the forest, leaving both human and Pokémon behind without a second thought.

Mei stared blankly at the lean body before she suddenly remembered Oshawott. She quickly ran over to the small Water type and scooped the tiny blue body in her arms. With a shaky sigh of relief, she realized he was still alive. Knocked out cold, but otherwise alive. Suddenly, Mei was overwhelmed with a choking sensation. She can't cry now. She shouldn't cry. But she was overwhelmed with the feeling of losing. Warding away tears, she hugged Oshawott's body close to hers. The Sea Otter Pokémon stirred, opening one of his dark eyes. He stared sadly at his master and at her watery eyes. Trying to comfort her, Oshawott snuggled with Mei as well.

"I'm sorry Oshawott… so sorry…" Mei murmured softly. Suddenly she felt something on her shoulder. Slowly turning her head, her sea blue eyes met Hugh's red ones. His eyes were sympathetic for her. She also noticed that his hand was on her shoulder and was now rubbing her back in a soothing motion. Mei, although she liked the feeling of his hand she suddenly whispered shakily, blushing, "Uh, Hugh…"

"Hm? Oh!" he said awkwardly, drawing his hand away from Mei's back, his face also redden. "S-Sorry…" Mei noticed his face, they way he blushed whenever he saw her. He was doing that quite a bit recently and a little flame of hope filled Mei. Maybe, he really did like her. For a moment she wished that she could still feel his hand.

_God, how can I be so stupid for not stepping in? If I want to protect Mei, I… I need to do better than this! _Hugh scolded himself. But now it was over and passed, and the only thing that mattered now was that Hugh made Mei feel better. He shifted his weight from one leg to another and said shyly, "Don't worry Mei. It was a tough fight, but it's over now. You can fight him again another day, right?" Mei turned to face him fully and Hugh got ready for a snappy reply.

"You know Hugh," Mei replied slowly. "Your right." She bolted upright suddenly with Hugh getting up to meet her at his own pace. "No use over crying over spilled milk right? Who knows, I might see that Pokémon again. And if not, well… than maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

"That's the spirit! Come on, the town's really close no-" Hugh said to Mei with relief before being suddenly cut off by a loud booming voice.

"You there, Trainers! Hello!" Both Hugh and Mei looked up to see a middle-aged man with long spiky ginger and scarlet hair that looked like a magnificent sun setting over a dusty olive desert standing on a ledge on the ravine. The man was wearing a khaki tunic with carrot, dark, and ruby colored stripes around the borders of the tunic and torn khaki trousers. As soon as he greeted them, he hopped down from the ledge to meet them.

"Uh, hello?" Mei asked awkwardly. Hugh took a step in front of her to have a closer look at this man.

"Hello." He said stonily but politely to the man. "And may I ask who you are?"

The ginger haired man noticed the glare in Hugh's red eyes. "Now, now, let's not be prickly." He said warmly. Hugh relaxed just a little, but still kept his guard up. "Now where are my manners," the man continued. "My name is Alder. I am a Trainer, just like you and your friend there, with a keen interest in the world. I want to tell people just how great it would be if Pokémon and humans walked towards the future hand in hand."

Hugh was silent for a moment. "So… you're a hippie?" Hugh concluded. Alder gave off a hearty laugh.

"Oh no, far from it! I am just an old man who just wants people to realize how great life is with Pokémon. But enough talk from me, may I ask who you two are?" he said. Mei stood up and walked over to him and Hugh.

"My name is Mei." She said automatically. Mei gestured to Hugh. "And this is Hugh. We are both from Aspertia City." Alder nodded.

"I see. Pleasure to meet you both, Mei and Hugh of Aspertia City. Both of you will make very fine Trainers, I'm sure." He said kindly. Alder than noticed Mei's Oshawott and asked, "Say… what happened to your poor Pokémon there?"

Mei looked at Oshawott quickly before lifting her eyes up towards Alder again. "Well… I was in a tough fight. It was with this Pokémon…" she said and began describing the Riolu she faced earlier to him. When she was finished, Alder nodded his head slowly, processing what he just heard.

"I believe what you just described to me was a Riolu." He said.

"A what?" Mei asked.

"A Riolu. It's a rare Pokémon that's sometimes found in Floccesy Ranch. It is said that they have the powers to sense people's and Pokémon's energies called auras. I guess one of them must have wandered here on accident; it is incredibly rare for it to do so anyways. But what I found interesting was that the Riolu itself challenged you. It's usually the other way around."

"But what about other Pokémon like Pidove?"

"Those were just protecting their territory. That Riolu wasn't protecting any territory of any kind. So what you just saw was very unusual behavior with a Pokémon. But I also heard that Riolus are very intelligent as well…"

Hugh stepped in to interrupt. "Sorry," he said. "This is great and all but Mei's Oshawott is pretty tired and it's getting dark. Can you please tell us if there is a Pokémon Center nearby?" Alder nodded.

"Of course, of course!" he said kindly. "Sorry, I tend to get carried away in conversations like that. Follow me, the town isn't too far off, just a few minutes walk from here. Come, come." Alder strolled off, with Mei and Hugh not far behind. Just as the big man had said, a small town sort of illuminated with soft lights like stars shown before them. The sun had already disappeared over the hills, dowsing them with the last few rays of pink, purple, and orange light before disappearing into the rich blues and purples of the night.

Floccesy Town was a bit smaller than Aspertia City but much older. The Pokémon Center actually seemed to be a newer addition to this town than the antique houses with the pointed orange roofs, and paling bricks. The roads that the trio was walking on were still made of stone, unlike the cement roads of Aspertia City. A jazz band that was next to the Pokémon Center was playing a smooth catchy song, with some people stopping to watch and sway with the music. The sometimes even plopped some money into an open briefcase in front of the jazz band. Mei found the town very cozy and the Pokémon Center would be a huge relief for her.

"Well, there you go, the Pokémon Center. You can go ahead and spend the night in there if you want and you can get your Oshawott healed, Mei." said Alder. Mei nodded in gratitude.

"Thank you Alder. Say, do you mind tomorrow morning you could tell us where you think the Riolu went?" Mei asked. Alder nodded again.

"Very well. I think that Riolu went to Floccesy Ranch with its other friends. But come by my house tomorrow and I'll tell you which direction to go. My house is behind the Pokémon Center." said Alder. "Well, I think we're done here. See you in the morning." He said as he walked off. Mei and Hugh both waved goodbye.

"Well, since we're here, let's go get our Pokémon all patched up shall we?" said Hugh. Mei nodded enthusiastically as both walked to the Pokémon Center.

As they were walking, Hugh began to think to himself. That Alder guy seemed pretty friendly, so he couldn't possibly be one of those thieves… Hugh would let him go for now. But he still couldn't help thinking that Alder really was a hippie. Hugh turned over to look at Mei, who seemed lost in her own thoughts and was blushing a bit. And then he thought about how cute she looked when she blushed.

xxxxx

**Hi you guys, its me again, Halfmoon22. I was having very severe writers block lately and that was why there hadn't been an update in, well, months. But I am over it for now and am also working on a few other fan-fics which may or may not be published. But anyway, this chapter itself had about roughly 6,000 words in it. Ch.3 is possibly going to be even longer than this so that might take a while depending on how much time I spend on this and how fast I work. (sighs) Maybe during summer vacation things might run more smoothly. So, that's about it. P.S. Thank you all so much for reading this, its my most viewed story! So thanks! ^u^**

**Review and favorite if you enjoyed!**

**Bye for now**

**~Halfmoon22**


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